Tyler Ryan was taking a friend home on Nov. 9, 2011, when they stopped to help a couple with a flat tire. Ryan said he turned to get a spare tire, and the next thing he knew, he was pinned between two cars.

The driver who caused the accident was issued a $150 ticket on charges of inattentive driving. Ryan, meanwhile, spent 3 1/2 weeks in a hospital before he was transferred between several medical centers for care, enduring months of physical therapy, which he continues today.

"The difficult part was just trying to tell myself to do it. It was painful, uncomfortable, weird," Ryan said.

Doctors were able to save one of Ryan's legs and treat other injuries that he suffered in the wreck, including three breaks in his back. His doctor said Ryan has been an inspiration through it all.

"He healed his wounds; he got out of the hospital. He never said, 'Woe is me. Boo, this stinks.' He had a great attitude, (he) always smiled. When I saw him a couple of weeks ago at his one-year anniversary, I thought, 'He walks so well. He walks tall and proud,'" said Dr. William J. Ertl.

Ryan, who now wears a prosthetic on his right leg, has been honored by the Oklahoma City Thunder as a hero. He said his biggest challenge is returning to the workforce because he needs to find a job that works with his new range of mobility.

"I have a tattoo, and it's ironic (because) it says, 'Keep moving forward.' I got it eight months before my accident happened. I say to people all the time now, 'Tomorrow's gone forever, so the only thing you can do is keep moving forward.' I just try to live by that as much as possible and stay positive," Ryan said.